“I have found this worm for the fourth time (found two yesterday, and one the day before), less than one metre (approximately 3.3 feet) away from my plant pot”, writes Mrs. Wood about the red, worm-like organism pictured below. “I use rainwater to water my plants. I also have a cat, which is indoors. The worm is dried up. About one centimeter in length (0.4-inches). I zoomed right in on him. I can see his funny shape, rounded ends. Even the food he was eating inside him. He is a dark red color. I hope it’s just an earthworm, but I need your advice. I’m worried that it could be some parasite. Could you please help?”

To start with, we want to thank Mrs. Wood for making our job easier by providing such ample context and a fantastic photo. We definitely will help identify this critter. Now, the fact that it is dried up makes it harder to provide an identification that is certain and accurate, as its body will naturally have changed shape and color. Despite that, we have seen dried-up worms like this before, and this does look like an earthworm. As we are sure Mrs. Wood is aware, earthworms are not parasites. They are not harmful at all, but are benefactors to the environment, as they clean up organic waste and return it to the Earth as nutrient-rich waste which acts as a fertilizer. They also do not tend to infest houseplants, so Mrs. Wood does not need to fear for the plant the worm was found near.

With all of that said, despite this resembling an earthworm, the size of the worm does not match up; earthworms are usually at least a few inches long (7 centimeters). This might be an immature earthworm, but we considered other possibilities nonetheless. It also resembles a bootlace worm: a species of ribbon worm (which are aquatic) found on the coasts of the UK, Sweden, and Denmark. They secrete a venomous fluid which is capable of killing cockroaches and even crabs, and this venom has been utilized as an organic insecticide. Even though the worms Mrs. Wood found are dried up, and would not be able to secrete this toxin, we suggest avoiding physical contact, as there could be traces of the fluid on their bodies (provided that these are bootlace worms). The most incredible fact about bootlace worms is that they are among the longest animals in the world. While they can be as small as this worm Mrs. Wood found, they can also grow to over 100 feet long (over 30 meters).

The thing that has us doubting whether or not the worms Mrs. Wood found could be bootlace worms is the location in which they were found. As they are aquatic worms, they tend to stay near the ocean. Of course, we do not know if Mrs. Wood lives near the ocean, and if it is at all possible that her cat (provided it’s an outdoor cat) would have gone to the ocean and accidentally brought some bootlace worm eggs back on its paws or fur. We also want to note that Mrs. Wood does not need to worry about using rainwater to water her plants, insofar as worms showing up because of it; evaporation is not able to pick up eggs from the ocean (or any body of water), so eggs do not travel this way. Additionally, if she is worried about her cat’s health in relation to these worms, we advise her to take her cat to the vet.

In conclusion, the dried-up worms Mrs. Wood found near her plant pot look like they could be earthworms or bootlace worms, though it is hard to say for certain since they are dried up in the first place. They could be something else entirely that would be more interested in her plant. If she worries about her plant, she might want to repot it with new soil. Either way, it would be a good idea to keep an eye on it and see if there is a decline in health in the plant. If there is, and she concludes it is because of the worms, then they are likely not earthworms or bootlace worms. Despite all the uncertainty, we hope that Mrs. Wood gleaned something useful from this article, and we wish her the very best!

Summary

Article Name

ried-up, Red Worms Near Plant Pot Could be Earthworms or Bootlace Worms

Description

"I have found this worm for the fourth time (found two yesterday, and one the day before), less than one metre (approximately 3.3 feet) away from my plant pot", writes Mrs. Wood about the red, worm-like organism pictured below. "I use rainwater to water my plants. I also have a cat, which is indoors. The worm is dried up. About one centimeter in length (0.4-inches). I zoomed right in on him. I can see his funny shape, rounded ends. Even the food he was eating inside him. He is a dark red color. I hope it's just an earthworm, but I need your advice. I'm worried that it could be some parasite. Could you please help?"

Author

Worm Researcher Anton